Search begins for Fall River economic development director

It may be a case of the cart before the horse, but the search is on for a new director of economic development before a contract has been signed between the Fall River Redevelopment Authority and the city.

FALL RIVER — It may be a case of the cart before the horse, but the search is on for a new director of economic development before a contract has been signed between the Fall River Redevelopment Authority and the city.

City Administrator Cathy Ann Viveiros said that an agreement between the city and RDA is being reviewed by the independent agency’s attorney and there is an item on the agenda for the RDA’s Wednesday night meeting for discussion.

An advertisement for the position is on the Massachusetts Municipal Association’s website.

The RDA voted in May to give its new Chairwoman Kara O’Connell the ability to negotiate a deal that would give them the ability to oversee economic development in the city.

O’Connell said that their attorney, John Coughlin, is still looking over the contract and it “looks to be in-line.”

The RDA will also recommend the hiring of the new economic director who would be an employee of the city and paid by funds from the Community Development Agency’s federal Community Development Block Grant, although in theory supervised by the non-profit agency.

Those funds and the responsibilities of economic development were the responsibility since the 1970s of the former Fall River Office of Economic Development, now the Bristol County Economic Development Consultants.

That ended after a falling out between Mayor Jasiel Correia II and BCEDC in March 2017. Correia stopped funding the agency in July 2017, and since then there has been no formal office of economic development in the city.

O’Connell said on Wednesday the board will put together a search committee to find the new economic director and she’ll recommend that members include members outside of the RDA.

“We want to make sure who ever fills the position is the best,” said O’Connell.

The ad in the MMA website indicates the economic development director’s duties will have the responsibility to “retain, grow and attract businesses, to increase employment opportunities and to create a more diversified, sustainable economy.”

Other duties for the new head of economic development includes forming partnerships with the school department, Bristol Community College, the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, the local chamber of commerce, the Bristol County Training Consortium, the Workforce Investment Board and BCEDC.

The position pays $90,000 to $130,000. As part of the agreement, a coordinator will also be hired.

RDA Would receive $446,852 in CDBG funds in the first year and more than $330,000 next year.

BCEDC will continue its contracted management of RDA projects that include the city pier and continued sales of land at the bio-park.

A proposed plan includes the RDA potentially adding up to 15 percent of the budget if they decided the new staff works on non-reimbursable tasks under HUD.

Email Jo C. Goode at jgoode@heraldnews.com